President Trump with Brett Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley, and children at a White House ceremony on Monday eveningSAUL LOEB/GETTY IMAGES

Democrats’ hopes of blocking President Trump’s Supreme Court justice nominee were waning yesterday after centrist senators gave a cautious welcome to Brett Kavanaugh.

The choice of Mr Kavanaugh, a federal judge in Washington and a former aide to President George W Bush, has proven to be less contentious than Mr Trump’s opponents had hoped after three Democrats from conservative states said that they would give the president’s nominee a fair hearing, even though their own party had urged them to reject him outright.

Although the president nominates new judges for the Supreme Court, his choice must be ratified by a vote in the Senate — expected to happen before the midterm elections in November.

Joe Manchin, a West Virginia senator, said: “I believe the Senate…

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